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Aulfric Grondhardt
Aulfric Grondhardt was a legendary warrior from Volka who lived between the years Hydra 24 and Hydra 71. Legend says he was the second son of a second son, and that he single handedly defeated the dragon Frostmaw with the mighty sword Vosthiil. He is the earliest known ancestor of Noren Grandhearth. Aulfric and the Dragon According to myth, Aulfric was born to two poor farmers in a village in Northern Volka known as Gerdehiem. The village was located at the foot of a great mountain, at whose summit the great dragon Frostmaw made his lair. Frostmaw believed he owned Gerdeheim and thus came once every year to demand a tithe from the villagers, usually in gold and jewels. After a year of a great snowstorm however, the villagers were forced to spend all they owned on food and supplies to keep themselves alive, and from that point on Frostmaw demanded that his tithe be paid in bodies, namely of those of the most healthy and able of the populace, which he is said to have taken to his lair to consume at his leisure. During the time just before Aulfric's birth, his father had made an arrangement with the dragon. The village was dying, and aside from Aulfric's father and his wife, only orphaned children, the elderly, and those too sick or weak to work remained living in Gerdeheim. The bargain struck with the dragon would give the village 30 years to renew itself, after which point, Frostmaw would recieve thirty times the value demanded for his original tithe. If the villagers were unable to pay however, their lives would all be forfeit. Aulfric's older brother died one harsh winter, and it is said that it was from this moment on that he pledged his life toward vanquishing the beast who was responsible for holding the villagers of Gerdeheim captive, preventing his dying brother from recieving the care that would surely have saved him. Aulfric trained as a warrior, and when he came of age on the eve of the year upon which the tithe was to be paid, he set off up the mountain to confront Frostmaw in his lair. On his way up the mountain, Aulfric befriended a winter wolf he found lying bloodied on the mountain path, taking it to his shelter, feeding it scraps of his rations and nursing it back to health. The winter wolf thanked Aulfric, saying it had been wounded by Frostmaw. When it heard of Aulfric's quest, the winter wolf gave him a magical amulet it had found, which could protect the wearer from cold. Next, Aulfric came across a wounded fey, whose forest had been decimated by Frostmaw. Aulfric carried the fey down the montain until he came to a boreal forest, where the fey could live in peace. The fey thanked Aulfric, and gave him a magical seed which he was told, when planted, would grow instantly into a mighty tree with leaves that looked as though they were made of gold. Next, Aulfric encountered a weary travelling Raven, who said that his nest had been destroyed by Frostmaw. Aulfric planted the seed given to him by the fey, which grew into a mighty oak tree with shimmering golden leaves. Picking up twigs and branches on the path, Aulfric made a new nest for the raven and placed it in the tree. The raven thanked Aulfric, but the warrior only sighed, slumping against the tree. He told the Raven his story, and that the time of the tithe was fast approaching, and he lamented, for he was clearly no match for a monster who could dstroy entire forests and effortlessly dispatch winter wolves. The raven told Aulfric that size, strength, and destructive power were not the only forces that determined a winner in combat. Courage, said the raven, was the most nesscessary element, and that if Aulfric had the courage, the raven would help him devise a plan to vanquish Frostmaw. The raven knew the location of a corpse buried in the frozen mountainside which still grasped a magical sword. This was the sword Vosthiil, and with the help of the raven, Aulfirc retrieved it. Next, the raven suggested they gather the leaves of the magical tree into a cart, and send word to Aulfric's friends, the winter wolf and the fey to ask for their assistance in slaying Frostmaw. The cart was hitched to the winter wolf, who traveled with the fey and the raven to Frostmaw's lair. Using the silver tongue of his kind, the fey beguiled the dragon, convincing him that the three creatures had come bearing a gift of gold for the dragon. The raven used his skill for appraising gems and other valuables to decieve the dragon into thinking that the leaves were very rare treasures of gold. Frostmaw accepted the gift, and took the cart inisde where it was added to his hoard. That night, while the dragon slept, Aulfric snuck out of the pile of leaves and ambushed Frostmaw. The beast fought back with tooth and claw and breath of icy cold, but Aulfric weaved and ducked and was protected by the winter wolf's charm, allowing Vosthiil to find it's mark in the dragon's chest, slaying the beast. Afterwards, Aulfric was celebrated in Gerdeheim and beyond, earning the title 'Grondhardt' an old Volkan expression for valor. The Sword Vosthiil become known as the Grandhearth family sword, and was stolen from the family vault in Hydra 107. Ulric Grandhearth commissioned a non magical replica of the sword to be made in Hydra 127, which has been passed down from generation to generation ever since.